On their brand new single ‘Lights Out’, indie-rock group Black Surf pay homage to one of grunge-pop’s most beloved songwriters

aving formed while separated by more than 10,000 miles – Leeds, UK and Sydney, Australia – indie-rock group Black Surf needed a little more inspiration than band practice to hone their songwriting. Thankfully, they had Rivers Cuomo to sharpen their approach.

Opening with a dual riff and melody that sounds eerily like Holiday from Weezer’s beloved Blue Album, Ali Epstone’s vocals do little to dispel the connection – adopting the same stoic railing that’s served Cuomo so well. To top it off there’s even a middle segment that lets the bassline take centre-stage, before ending with thrashy grunge-pop chords.

Lights Out sounds so much like Weezer that it could have been one of their early demo tracks, and with the affection for Rivers Cuomo’s group so strong it means that it walks a tightrope between homage and outright theft. Thankfully, though, Black Surf’s love of their inspiration rings with such hook-laden sincerity that Lights Out plays like the fondest of echoes, even if it is light on originality.